Physio experiences after Hip Op 2022

Found in 'drafts'. Written in 2022

I am writing in Phase 3, the end of week 11 after my hip operation on 9th August. I have now had a 6 week half term where the first 2 weeks were not in school, followed by 4 weeks of phased return. This last week was a full working week, but with two days of INSET - so not quite a real working week. I feel like I have taken part in a major sports tournament and am now in post exertion fatigue. My question to a physio is, how much should I be pushing to get the best results?

My physio experience has varied and shown me that the advice I get is not the most important thing, it is the dynamic between physio and patient. Most of the physios tend to think their advice IS the most important thing - and interestingly they tend to be young males that work for the NHS.

My first physio. This was a phone call I had set up with my GP physio as the after care from hospital was painfully slow. She was very business like and factual, but refreshing and enthusiastic, even though her call came after 6pm and she'd obviously been working all day. She covered all the bases, gave me reassurance, a couple of things to watch out for and listened carefully to my questions answering them in a brisk, clear way. I continued with my exercises, looking forward to another opinion. I was especially concerned with leg length disparity.

My second physio. Young man from the NHS. He sounded tired, knew this was a routine call and became easily irritable when I didn't smoothly go through his protocols. In my head, I felt so fortunate to have spoken to an expert already, so was less stressed and needy than I might have been otherwise. He dismissed my concerns, answered my questions flippantly and I became flippant back. The best I got from this call was a referral to see a physio in person.

In the meantime, as this referral would be a month a way, I paid to see two physios who I hoped would give me meaningful advice on progressing back to health in the most successful way possible. My third physio worked for the NHS and had a really well equipped treatment room in a side room of her beautiful home for private treatments. The booking was an hour, she ran through a series of questions, observed the way I stood, walked, responded to exercise and used oil to release very tight IT band and hip extensors. I walked out feeling lighter in my leg and clearer about the next stage of exercise. I had gained confidence, which was so important, and knew I could massage around my scar and also the tight ligaments, even though this was painful!

Less than a week later, I met with physio number 4, who responded to me in even a gentler way than the previous private therapist. I realised the previous therapist who had given me greater confidence, had also worried me about possible knee arthritis. This therapist isolated the knee and investigated. The pain didn't manifest with these exercises which made the possibility that this was referred pain much more likely to me. Her interaction with me felt similar to my shiatsu colleagues, a much gentler approach to massage and a more intellectual explanation of body mechanics.